Newcastle United won't bid for Darren Bent unless price is right

Newcastle United are not about to sign former Sunderland striker Darren Bent, despite being offered the Aston Villa hitman

Newcastle United have turned down the chance to sign fallen England international Darren Bent.

The Chronicle understands that the Magpies were offered the out-of-favour Aston Villa striker.

But sources at Villa Park say that United will only look into the possibility of signing Bent IF he became available on a free transfer and was prepared to lower his huge demands.

The Birmingham club are keen to get Bent off the books but those same sources have indicated that Villa will hold out for a £10m fee for the 29-year-old.

United manager Alan Pardew is thought to be keen on being re-united with the Tooting-born Londoner he worked with at Charlton Athletic. Bent has 149 league goals in 362 league appearances and is a proven Premier League goalscorer.

Yet even the slightest possibility of signing the former Sunderland man polarised opinion among Newcastle followers.

Newcastle fans woke up to headlines that Bent is keen on a move back to the North East – but the reality is that United won’t pay his sky-high wage demands, nor the inflated transfer fee that comes with the overall package.

United’s own blueprint, released in 2010 and not officially updated since, clearly states players won’t be signed on past reputation.

And so it would be a major U-turn if Ashley was to sanction a move for a player who will be 30 before the 2013/14 season is over.

It is also thought that Bent’s £70,000 wages – a by-product of his £18m move to Villa two years ago – would also be dismissed by Ashley.

The Toon tycoon inherited a Newcastle squad with high earners such as Geremi and Alan Smith on board back in 2007, and cases like the ill-fated transfer of Xisco – which drained the club’s wage budget – have left scars on the club’s finances.

Therefore, it would also take a significant slash in wages for the Magpies to seriously even consider taking Bent on board.

United are actively looking to sign a new striker, though, with Papiss Cisse keen to have some support in the United’s frontline after spending the second half of the season playing in an isolated role.

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